It is sometimes necessary to apply paint or sealant while on an inclined roof or other surface. In these situations it is preferable to have an apparatus to hold the container containing the material being applied. Furthermore, it is more convenient and productive to apply paint or sealant directly from a five gallon bucket, rather than from a pan. Alternately, it is sometimes necessary to provide a container for tools and/or materials while working on an inclined roof or other surface. This requires a method of restraining a heavy bucket and current mechanisms for holding containers on inclined surfaces are limited.
A number of mechanisms have been proposed to hold paint cans or buckets on sloped roofs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,906 discloses a paint can holder for supporting a can in an upright position on a sloped surface. This device can only accommodate a single can having a specific size of handle bosses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,193 also discloses a paint can holder for an inclined roof. This device requires manual adjustment for accommodating the slope of the roof. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,227 discloses an apparatus that attaches to a can and can be used to hold a can in an upright position if adjusted according to the slope of the roof. None of these three patents incorporate a flat level working surface. Such a surface is useful, for example, for striking a paint roller to reposition the roller on its handle (a frequent problem with paint rollers).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,397 discloses a platform that can be used to create a flat surface by manually adjusting the legs to accommodate the slope of the roof. This device does not restrain a can or bucket, but only creates a flat surface if properly adjusted. U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,306 discloses a platform incorporating a paint can holder for use on a sloped roof. This device requires manual adjustment according to the slope of the roof. U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,773 also discloses a bucket holding apparatus incorporating a device that attaches to the crest of a roof and a cable attached platform for holding a paint can. This device is complex and cumbersome to operate. It also does not have a flat level surface.
None of the six patents discussed in the preceding two paragraphs position a container above the crest of a roof or provide the simplicity of a single piece construction.
Accordingly, the need exists for an improved container restraining system that doesn't have the limitations of the mechanisms described above. What is needed is a simple and inexpensive apparatus for holding containers at the crest of a roof and also that can easily accommodate roofs of differing pitches.